Tennis team opens season with win

Fredi Kneer gets set to return a serve in his doubles win.
The Buccaneer boys tennis team got the season off on the right foot when they notched a win last week Tuesday. They downed the Albert Lea Tigers 5-2 on the courts in Blue Earth.
It was a cloudy, chilly day, but with little wind. First year coach Colby Swanson said he was pleased with the team’s play, and hoped both the team and the weather will improve in the next few weeks.
Garrett Passer got things going for the Bucs when he scored a 6-2, 6-1 win in the fourth singles match.
That was followed by the first doubles team of Drake Nimz and Dalton Moore winning by an identical 6-2, 6-1 score.
At No. 2 singles, the Bucs Matt Purvis lost to the Tiger opponent by a score of 6-2, 6-3. BEA’s Riley Holmseth followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win at the No. 3 singles spot, which made the match score 3-1 in favor of the Bucs.
BEA’s third doubles team of Hans Kittleson and Fredi Kneer won their match 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. That gave the Bucs the winning lead at a 4-1 score.
Other scoring included Logan Becker winning at the first singles position with scores of 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
In the final match, the Bucs second doubles team of brothers Aaron and Wade Wilhelmi lost a hard fought match by scores of 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-4. They had to wait for the first open court before starting their match, and then each set went long. It was finished under the lights.
Another tennis match that had been scheduled for last Thursday was postponed due to weather. This week the team will travel to Owatonna Monday and to Luverne on Friday.